Ralphie May, one of Variety’s “10 Comics to Watch,” is the headliner for a holiday July 4th celebration at The Mahaffey Theater.

ST. PETERSBURG - Ralphie May, one of Variety’s “10 Comics to Watch,” is the headliner for a holiday July 4th celebration at The Mahaffey Theater. The schedule calls for a 6 p.m. barbecue, a 7:30 p.m. comedy show, fireworks and outdoor concert with Pitbull Toddler.

Since Ralphie May’s debut on season one of Last Comic Standing, audiences can’t get enough of the larger-than-life comedian whose no-nonsense point of view strongly connects with diverse audiences. May doesn’t shy away from touchy topics or ethnic jokes because he sincerely believes that as long as what he’s saying is true, people need to hear it.

May’s career in comedy started at age 17 after winning a contest to open for his idol, Sam Kinison. At Kinison’s suggestion, he moved from his hometown, Chattanooga, Tenn. to Houston to develop his comedy routine.

“All the comics I’ve ever admired, whether it be Kinison, Lenny Bruce, Buddy Hackett or Richard Pryor, all share a commonality,” May said in a press release about the show. “They’re a tour de force. When they speak, there’s no room for rebuttal. They’ve thought it all out. Even the pros and cons of their argument, they raise openly and debate in the midst of their conversation and it’s a beautiful thing to watch.”

May has a proven track record of selling out multiple shows in 1,500 to 3,000-seat venues and recently released his record-setting one-hour Comedy Central special, Too Big to Ignore on DVD from Image Entertainment. Later this year he will release a vintage recording on vinyl taped in Houston in 1998.

May has worked as a writer and producer on ESPN's Mohr Sports, starring Jay Mohr and performed stand-up on numerous late night talk shows including CBS's The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn and Jimmy Kimmel Live. He has appeared on The Man Show and MTV’s Bash as well as guest-starred on NBC’s Whoopie. As if that’s not enough, he’s also one of a handful of comedians to have received a standing ovation on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Tickets for Ralphie May are $20, $25, $30 and $47.50 and available online at TheMa­haffe­y.com, charge by phone at 727-893-7832 or in person at The Mahaffey Theater Box Office. The Mahaffey Box Office is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday or at least 90 minutes prior to any ticketed event. There are no added charges ever on tickets purchased directly from The Mahaffey Theater.

The schedule for Cowhead’s Brew-Ha-Ha event is: 6 p.m. barbecue on the Plaza (food vendors on-site); 7:30 p.m. Ralphie May show in The Mahaffey Theater; 9:15 p.m. free fireworks and reserved, ticketed seating on the terrace, and 10 to 11 p.m., music by Cowhead's band, Pitbull Toddler.